Associate-11% vs national median828 grads tracked
Biological and Physical Sciences at Rend Lake College
Ranked 53rd of 58 associate programs in Biological and Physical Sciences by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$24,677
middle 50%: $18,387 – $34,577
Median · 5 years out
$42,990
middle 50%: $29,529 – $56,911
Median · 10 years out
$53,525
middle 50%: $40,437 – $70,564
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Biological and Physical Sciences (associate) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Biological sciences graduates at Rend Lake College earn a median $25k initially. Ten-year median salaries reach $54k.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
10.3 yrs
≈ $12,929 total interest
Same major at other universities
Carl Sandburg College
$44,463 · 5 yrs out
Prairie State College
$44,308 · 5 yrs out
Spoon River College
$44,073 · 5 yrs out
Morton College
$44,017 · 5 yrs out
Laramie County Community College
$43,798 · 5 yrs out
Lewis and Clark Community College
$43,792 · 5 yrs out
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges -Frontier Community College
$43,647 · 5 yrs out
Kilgore College
$42,596 · 5 yrs out
City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
$42,273 · 5 yrs out
Shawnee Community College
$40,883 · 5 yrs out
City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College
$40,729 · 5 yrs out
City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College
$38,875 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Rend Lake College
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$86,981 · 5 yrs out
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$86,768 · 5 yrs out
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$78,993 · 5 yrs out
Agricultural Production Operations (Certificate)
$73,728 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$72,395 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Certificate)
$65,897 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$64,930 · 5 yrs out
Precision Production (Associate)
$62,446 · 5 yrs out
Precision Metal Working (Associate)
$62,446 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$60,696 · 5 yrs out
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$60,533 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Certificate)
$59,934 · 5 yrs out